The upset becomes even more remarkable when you consider how it happened. This wasn’t the case of an upset UAE redefining perceptions of the underdog. Instead, Japan outshot the Emiratis 35 to 3. It put eight shots on target to the UAE’s two. Twenty of Japan’s shots came from inside the box, and Japan had 68.1 percent of the game’s possession. Yet thanks to a ninth minute goal from Ali Mabkhout (his fourth of the tournament), UAE held the lead for 72 minutes in regulation, with only a late goal from young Japanese midfielder Gaku Shibasaki allowing the heavy favorites to survive into extra time.

UAE, Iraq, South Korea, and Australia are through to the semifinals. Australia v Japan would likely have been a better game, but what a result for UAE.